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Kunming Attractions
8 Results
- Park/Garden
Cui Hu
Kunming's nicest park is a pleasant retreat from the bustling city even though it can get quite crowded on weekends. Bridges and pavilions connect the various islands on the lake, and sipping tea at a lakeside teahouse is one of the more pleasant activities here. The park is home to… - Park/Garden
Da Guan Yuan
This pleasant park on the northern shore of Lake Dian boasts nurseries, gardens, and walkways, but it is most famous for its triple-eaved Grand View Tower (Da Guan Lou), first built in 1682 and rebuilt in 1883. The tower offers unobstructed views of the lake.Lake Dian
- Park/Garden
Haobao Jing Organic Farm
Slightly further out of town is a 96-hectare (237-acre) farm and quasi-resort about 35km (22 miles) northwest of Kunming. In addition to delicious lunches that include produce freshly picked from their fields and organic chickens served to order, the farm has 20 rooms of farm-style… - Religious Site
Jin Dian
The centerpiece of this gorgeous Daoist temple complex, located 10km (6 miles) northeast of town, is the small but exquisite Golden Temple, built in 1671 on a two-tiered marble platform ringed by beautifully carved balustrades. The weathered 6.7m-high (22-ft.), 7.8m-wide (25-ft.),… - Religious Site
Qiongzhu Si
Built in 639 and rebuilt from 1422 to 1428, this temple houses an incredibly vivid tableau of 500 arhats carved between 1883 and 1890 by Sichuanese sculptor Li Guangxiu and his six apprentices, who gave to each arhat a different and incredibly naturalistic facial expression and pose.… - Neighborhood
Wenhua Xiang
This is Kunming's unintentional version of the Khao San area of years gone by in Bangkok. Stretching for about 5 blocks up from Yunnan University and then another 3 blocks to the right, this is where college students, expats, local residents, foreign language teachers, and the "cool"… - Natural Attraction
Xi Shan
Sometimes called the Sleeping Beauty Hills -- their contours are said to resemble the outline of a sleeping maiden when viewed from afar -- this densely forested range of hills on the western banks of Lake Dian is home to a number of Buddhist and Daoist temples and pavilions carved…Lake Dian - Religious Site
Yuantong Si
This unusual temple, the largest Buddhist shrine in Kunming, combines elements from Mahayana, Hinayana (or Theravada), and Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism). Originally built between 780 and 807, and rebuilt during the Qing dynasty, the temple is dedicated to the worship of Avalokitesvara…
Kunming Shopping
The area around Zhengyi Lu and Nanping Lu has turned into Kunming's main shopping district. The Guwan Cheng (8:30am-7:30pm) at the southwest corner of Huguo Lu and Nanping Lu has a collection of stores selling antiques, curios, and ceramics. The Flower and Bird Market in Jingxing Jie is worth a browse for souvenirs and minor, mostly fake, antiques, but do not expect anything much different from all the other souvenir markets. For something more original, head down Beijing road past the Jinda Hotel and the PLA Headquarters. There are plenty of army surplus shops here that sell everything from fur caps (¥20) to military police ID wallets (¥25), all of which make very unusual gifts. For police gear, try Longjin Jie which is full of paramilitary supply shops. For even more unusual gifts, the annual Kunming Sex Expo takes place in May at the Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Hall on Cuihu Xi Lu, across from the southwest corner of Green Lake Park.
Kunming Nightlife
The popular Camel Bar (Luotuo Jiuba) at Baita Lu 274 (tel. 0871/337-6255) serves inexpensive beer and has live music on weekends. The local bar scene thrives at dark but trendy The Hump, Jinmabiji Square, Jinbi Rd. (tel. 0871/364-4197; noon-2am or until last customer), with a full bar and posters of American pop and movie stars but attracts highly budget-conscious backpackers rather than regular independent travelers. For more sophisticated venues, try some of the bars around Green Lake or for more city intensities maybe Uprock on 267 Xichang Lu (tel. 15808815075).
